Maryland Ends Time Limit in Child Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has signed legislation to end Maryland’s statute of limitations on when child sexual abuse lawsuits can be filed against institutions.

Under current law, Marylanders who say they were sexually abused as children can’t sue after they reach the age of 38. The new law creates a permanent window with no time limit.

“There is no statute of limitations on the hurt that endures for decades after some- one is assaulted,” Moore, a Democrat, said. ”There is no statute of limitations on the trauma that harms so many still to this day, and this law reflects that exact truth.”

The law, which takes effect Oct. 1, includes some caps for damages. For private entities, damages are capped at $1.5 million for non-economic damages like pain and suffering, but there isn’t a cap for damages relating to costs for services like therapy. For school boards and local governments, damages are capped at $890,000.

The Maryland General Assembly passed the bill just hours after Attorney General Anthony Brown released a report with details about more than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore abusing more than 600 children. The church opposed the new law.

The Baltimore archdiocese says it has paid more than $13.2 million to 301 abuse victims since the 1980s, including $6.8 million toward 105 voluntary settlements.